Day After Day of the Dove
by chessax
Summary: The episode ended with everyone laughing. But what happened next?A few loose ends needed fixing
1. Chapter 1

Kirk stopped outside a crewman's door. He announced himself and waited for permission to enter. He did not get any reply. Kirk sighed, and overriding the lock code, walked into the dark and untidy room. The young ensign slouched by his desk at the back of the room. He gave no sign that he acknowledged his visitor but stared moodily at the viewscreen in front of him.

"Do you always ignore your Captain and show such blatant disrespect?"

Chekov flinched and replied." You are not my Captain. I gave notice that I wanted to be discharged from service."

Kirk said sharply, "On your feet, Ensign, and look me in the eyes when I talk to you."

Chekov stood at attention but kept his eyes on the floor.

"I said, look me in the eyes when I talk to you."

Chekov slowly lifted his gaze to his Captain and dropped his eyes to the floor.

"You are not discharged until I sign and authorize that notice. If anything, I should throw you in the brig for dereliction of duty. Spock had to call a navigator to the Bridge. That navigator had the day off assigned to him. So, I want an explanation why we had to pull him from his day off to cover for you."

"Then throw me in the brig. I care not."

"Spock has mentioned several times that you are the most promising ensign on the Enterprise. He and I have invested valuable time in training you. Now you pull a stunt like this."

The next few seconds went by. Kirk, irritated by the silence, spoke again in a soft, deadly voice.

"I want an explanation, Mister."

Chekov answered," You should have spent your time training some one else, Captain. For I am so unworthy of it."

Inwardly, Kirk sighed. How does he handle this young officer? So ashamed and guilt ridden he was unable to leave his room or meet the gaze of his superior officer.

Some Captains would have suggested counseling, but that would be the easy way out.

"Chekov, sit down. That's better. Now, do you want to leave Starfleet?"

"No, Sir, never."

"Do you wish to transfer to another ship?'

"No, Sir, I do not."

"Then what are you planning to do?"

"Just leave, away from here."

"Chekov, your problems will not stay behind when you leave the Enterprise. They will be with you always. You read the report. You never had a brother killed by Klingons. You reacted under the influence of the controlling entity and I do not blame you or hold you responsible for your actions."

Chekov lowered his head. "No one can blame me as much as I blame myself. I left my post during a dangerous situation to pursue my own vengeance. I threatened you with a weapon. Either one is a serious offense. I tried to attack the Klingon captain. Then I assaulted his wife because I wanted revenge.…No, not even that. I tried to attack her because she was beautiful, and she was there. I have flirted but never forced myself on any girl. I did not think I was capable of it. You should not even be in the same room with me, Sir."

"Chekov, in what regard do you regard me as a Captain?"

"The very highest of regard. You are everything a Starship Captain should be."

"In what regard as a man?"

"The same, Sir, in the very highest of regard."

"Do you know I once assaulted a woman?"

Chekov leaned back and stared in wide-eyed shock. He slowly shook his head.

"It was before you came to the Bridge. She was a member of my crew. A transporter malfunction created a physical double of me. He got drunk and went into her room."

Chekov smiled in relief." But it was not you, Sir It was the other one."

"No, it was me. My dark side of emotions. All composed of my anger, hate, passion. No control or discipline. But everyone has a chaotic dark side. It is a vital, integral part of ourselves. Dark selves give us our inner strength and resolve. Our willpower and our determination to fight and never give up. Maybe at one time we developed these dark selves to survive. We will always need them because it makes us who we are."

Chekov frowned. "But how do you stop these dark selves?"

"We cannot. But we can control them. To not let them decide what we do. Recognize when we are held by our dark selves and prevent them from doing further harm. We combat them with our wisdom and our logic. To not make decisions based on fear or anger. To say to yourself, No, you will not control me again."

"I will do so."

Kirk smiled, "Would you like me to delete the transfer request?"

"Yes, Captain. Thank you."

"Good. Clean yourself up and report to the Bridge to work the remainder of your shift. I want you to apologize to the navigator who was called in to take your place. And an apology to Spock. He chose to notify me instead of making a report of this."

"Yessir." He glanced at Kirk and smiled shyly. "Does Mister Spock really say that about me?"

"Yes, he does. But don't tell him I told you."


	2. our guests

Captain Kirk walked into Rec Room Six. Several Klingons were there including Kang and Mara. The atmosphere was wary but relaxed. Security stood at attention, but Kirk stressed the Klingons were guests and to be treated as such.

"Commander, within two days we will arrive at our destination. It is a neutral space station. A Klingon-Man-Of-War is on it's way. I told them a reactor implosion damaged your ship beyond repair. We came to your aid. Our official report was of an attempted rescue mission."

Spock had informed Kirk that in Klingon culture, to be held prisoner was a serious disgrace. For a Klingon captain, Kang could lose everything, even the ability to command a new starship.

Kang nodded in relief. "Thank you, Captain."

"How has your visit been?"

"We have been treated very well. We expected security, but our quarters are comfortable. We have been trying out Terran foods on your replicators."

Kirk smiled. "I am pleased you like our foods. If we had more time, we could have added some Klingon meals to our food replicators."

Kang said, "I look forward to a meal of Heart of Targ with Bloodwine. But I am developing a fondness for your root beer. Some of my crew have enjoyed your exploding corn. We did not think Terran foods were so interesting to watch."

"We call it popcorn. Add to it butter and salt."

Mara replied, "We have found Klingon and Terran digestive systems are compatible. So Terrans can eat any of our Klingon foods."

Kirk nodded. "I will definitely make a note of that. Spock has prepared a report for the Klingon Council and to Starfleet Headquarters. If both of you could come with me to the conference room to approve it."

Kang frowned, but stood, holding out his hand to Mara. Two of his men came forward but Kang waved them back. "Kirk has shown trust by coming in alone. I promised no hostilities and I will honor that trust."

Walking to the conference room, Mara mentioned the corridors were so colorful and well-lit. She and Kirk had a brief discussion on interior ship designs.

However, walking into the conference room, Mara drew in her breath. Standing by the conference table were Spock and Chekov.

Kirk stated, "You already know of Mister Spock. This is Ensign Chekov. He assists Spock many times in composing science reports and he does excellent work. He wrote the report of the rescue that will be sent to Starfleet and the Klingon Empire."

Chekov glanced uneasily at Kang. "I asked for this assignment. But first you should know of this. I was possessed by the entity and behaved in a way I deeply regret. Captain Kirk is of the highest esteem and never touched your wife. The man that ripped her uniform and tried to harm her was me."

Kang snarled and lounged. "You little—"

He was blocked by Spock.

Spock said politely, "Please let us all sit down. Commander, you saw the entity and what it was capable of."

Kirk spoke up. "Rape is intolerable to us. If any of my crew committed such a crime I would not let him go freely. Chekov thought you murdered his brother at a research colony."

"Yes, I remember him saying that." Kang muttered.

"Chekov never had a brother. Archanis Four does not even exist. His reactions were totally controlled by the entity."

Kang turned to his wife. "And what do you say to this, Mara?"

She said quietly," I believe them. We all saw that creature."

Everyone found seats and Kang slowly sat down. "Yes, I did blame you, Kirk. I should have listened to her when she tried to speak for you. I have always listened to her counsel. I felt such hatred and rage when I saw her uniform was torn. I acted as a husband, not as a captain. But let us continue."

Mara said, "I believe the creature affected me as well. I know how to fight. I am a Klingon. But I suddenly felt so weak I could barely move. I could not have bested a warrigul cub."

Spock said, "The entity wanted the rape to occur. Then it would have withdrawn to feed on the shame and self-horror of both. Kirk actually stopped its plan."

Kirk spokes. "The entity feeds on hate and rage. It's plan was to create a situation of constant warfare with no real victory to continue forever."

Mara said, "I saw the crewman in your sickbay suddenly recover. We would have been denied a death in combat and doomed to fight forever."

Kang said, "We would be denied Sto'Vo'Kor."

Kirk frowned. "I am not familiar with that word."

Chekov spoke up. "It is similar to Vahalla in Earth Viking culture. Only warriors were allowed to enter after dying in combat."

Kang said, "Yes, it is our greatest fear to be denied Sto'Vo'Kor. Klingons may grow too old but they do not die from old age alone. One may become too weak or has some illness or condition that cannot be cured. Someone close to him is selected. A son to a father or an officer to his captain. Both will fight to the death and the challenger is expected to kill him."

Kirk said, "No offense intended but we would view it as outright murder ."

"No, it is considered the greatest honor. The last duty to a loved one or a comrade. For you gave him a chance for one last fight and to die with a weapon in his hand. You have assured him passage to Sto'Vo'Kor."

Mara said, "Even before that, I felt things were wrong. It was most puzzling."

Kang nodded in agreement. "Such as why we were gifted swords instead of Bat'leths."

Spock answered. "Bat'leth is a Klingon weapon with a curved blade design. A weapon most humans would be unfamiliar with."

Mara continued, "How did we suddenly know specialized information to operate a Federation starship. So I decided to stay, to study the situation to learn as much as I could. Then in Sickbay, I realized you had no idea what was happening."

Spock stated, "Exactly what I would have done. Finding myself in a baffling situation, to try to observe and learn as much as possible."

Mara smiled. "Speaking as a science officer."

Spock inclined his head. "As you are yourself."

Kang looked at his wife with pride. "There is no science officer on any Klingon ship who is finer. We pick our reasons to fight. To be controlled by some glowing entity is intolerable."

Kirk said, "Spock and I have encountered this before. For all we know it might be the same kind of entity."

Spock glanced around the table. "It was on Rigel Four. It murdered several women and came onto our Enterprise. It called itself Red Jack, alluding to a killer on Early Earth. Red Jack took control of our computer and threatened to destroy the ship. So the crew would not develop any fear, everyone was injected with drugs to make them silly and happy. We trapped the entity in a host body and beamed it into space on wide dispersal."

Kirk grinned, "We realized since it feeds on rage and hate, oddly enough to laugh at it was the best defense. I remembered that and laughed at it again. We all did, and it left us."

Mara said, "I would like to read that report of the incident."

Spock nodded. "Chekov and I will start research on situations of unsolved murders and sudden violence. We do not expect to solve every incident but there have been reports of possession, serial killers hearing voices in their head, unexplained bright lights being noticed. These entities could be responsible for a great deal of misery and suffering."

Mara stated, "I will do research on this in our history, see if any glowing entities were noticed in our records and journals of battles. I promise any information I find will be given to you as well."

Chekov spoke to Mara, "If you wish to come with me to the Records Room, I can bring up the Rigel Four incident and copy it for you."

Mara replied, "Yes, I will do so."

Kang glanced at Chekov and said slowly, "That might be best. I wish to rejoin my men."

Kirk answered," I asked Spock to escort you after read the report. I need to go to the bridge to relieve Scotty. Three hours from now, I would like to join you in Rec Room Six, Commander. I have a bottle of Earth Brandy you might like."

"I will look forward to trying out this brandy."

Kirk stood up. "Sounds good, meeting adjourned."


End file.
